Issue 46 Community arts by writer & artist Michaela Hall -ART FOR HOPE'S SAKE...

It’s no secret that modern life can be exhausting, we’re all rushing around with places to be, things to do and for some this means that time to do something that really makes you happy, calm and fulfilled falls to the bottom of the to do list. We’re constantly competing with an increasingly digital world that tricks us into thinking we should be scrolling at all times and living our lives through our screens. This can result in people not even knowing where to start, especially creatives who want to create but stare at blank page wondering how to begin. This is where community art can be a saviour, a project with others who work to create something of an art form, whether this be something to feed the community or something more traditional in the art world that people can pass and admire – art that brings people together and provides hope and wellbeing.

Brazilian artist and photographer Vik Muniz is an artist who brought people together in one of his art projects to create hope through hard times. He travelled to Brazil, his home where lies one of the world’s biggest landfill sites, Jardin Gramacho. While there, he brough the teams on site together as an artistic group to create striking and beautiful portraits out of the heaps of recyclable items they gathered during their daily work. The group managed to turn something stereotypically ugly into something hopeful and inviting. In a place where the community faces poverty and unsafe working conditions, the art helped to bring those together who needed that time to re-group and see things in a new way. It’s worth saying that a big of the initiative was also to give funds sold of the photographs of the project to the community to support them. It was art for both wellness and benefit of all involved, a true sense of community.

While these types of work can be a one of project or initiative, they can also be a continuous way of life. The ‘You are not alone’ initiative is an ongoing project that has recently took off worldwide since 2021 where the creators paint large public murals with inspirational quotes around mental health and wellbeing on in communities worldwide with the aim to let people know there is support available for people who need to hear that they are not alone. They proudly break the stigma around mental health and wellbeing and encourage artists in communities to get involved and spread the message, they currently have over 70 murals across the globe. The murals always feature a pop of bright colour, typically hot yellow to really shout out to passers by to pay attention and listen to their message. The murals are an example of the power of an artwork in supporting others and spreading hope.

Art can often have the reputation of being ‘empty’ or ‘meaningless’ – these artworks show that is clearly isn’t the case. The pieces that may appear like any other artwork have so much purpose behind them and hold communities together and provide meaning to those involved and others watching.  These pieces prove that some art is really art for hope’s sake – powerful enough to do what not many other industries can.